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December Issue 2005
Robert Lange Studios Fine Art Gallery in Charleston, SC, Offers Works by Robert Lange
Robert
Lange Studios Fine Art Gallery in Charleston, SC, is mounting
perhaps its most ambitious show since its opening one year ago.
Beginning on Dec. 2, the anniversary of the gallery, artist and
owner Robert Lange will present A Matter of Light and Depth.
Lange's popular trompe l'oiel work along with original paintings
created from images from throughout Europe will remain on exhibit
until Jan. 13, 2006.
Lange says of his recent work and upcoming show, "This is not conceptual painting. This is not the kind of art you learn in art school. It's my own combination of contemporary painting and beautiful imagery. The result is my strongest work to date."
To understand all of the implications and ideas of Lange's it is perhaps better to view his work as a foreigner to the art world. Unlike many artists whose work can easily be bottled into a genre or "it reminds me" category, Lange can only be classified by his signature of stark lights and darks infused with vivid color.
At 24-years-old, Lange's short painting career has been decorated with acclaim, starting with a 4-year full scholarship to the world-renowned art school, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Since opening his gallery in Charleston, he has sold over 85 paintings to collectors from around the world and received numerous awards and grants. This show will be the culmination of a year's dedication.
"Lange's paintings are not defined by
subject matter, there are no hidden messages, his paintings are
simply beautiful," said gallery director Megan Sobchuk. "This
show has given Robert a chance to reflect on a year of creating
work, the end result is over twenty-five breathtaking paintings."
It is said that Lange paints life, accentuated. His work plays
off the documentary function of snapshots from his world in an
intriguing fashion. Openly working from photography instead of
life, he is converting his personally meaningful moments into
a highly aestheticized experience. A man, on his knees, praying
in the middle of a busy sidewalk in Rome, is translated from a
family vacation photo to a solitary and intimate moment on canvas.
After viewing Lange's work there is no need for explanation or
interpretation, his paintings depict transitory moments, which
are communicated as a shared feeling. His subject matter is quiet
yet given a bold voice; the overall effect creates a recognized
autobiography. Lange once said, "I paint the moments of my
life as I see them, not as they are."
A mathematical prodigy at 10-years of age, a perfect 800 on the math portion of his SATs, perhaps account for Lange's disciplined brushstrokes and the stylized geometric division of space on his canvases. Lange said, "Painting is a simple medium, all you need are frames, canvases, paint and brushes, with these minimal means you can achieve a maximum effect."
In 2004, Lange's move to the traditionalist community of Charleston heightened his desire to create the picturesque. His paintings indicate an active attitude towards the crucial and missing bliss that life often pretends to have. In short, his work is simply like life itself, only better.
After less than a year in Charleston, with a barely a dry signature on his diploma, Lange opened Robert Lange Studios Fine Art Gallery on East Bay Street. The gallery space, like his paintings, is clean, simple, and strangely familiar and inviting.
Lange's embrace and depiction of a heightened
suburbia distances his work from the political commitment and
social self-importance of most contemporary postmodern painters.
Someplace between Charleston's cobblestone streets and New York's
stark concrete living rooms, is the work of Robert Lange.
For more information check our SC Commercial Gallery listings,
call the gallery at 843/805-8052 or at (www.robertlangestudios.com).
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